Hurtigruten ASA - news and comments

[Azimut]

It will be interesting to see what happens if other companies will operate along the route and whether they will be able to use the name Hurtigruten.
Exciting to see what will happen and if this will end up in court.

[Azimut]

According to an article in Hegnar.no, Hurtigruten will purchase "Richard With" and "Nordlys"
They collected NOK 400 million for the purchase and refurbishment of the ships.

http://www.hegnar.no/Nyheter/Boers-f...nter-400-mill.

[Clipper]

What is the significance of this purchase?

Do I understand correctly that it is possibly a move designed to prevent these ships falling into the hands of competitors who might bid for some future coastal express "Hurtigruten" contract?

[pakarang]

Who owns these ships today?

I think Clipper might have a good point in regards to future contract for these ships.

[Azimut]

Owner of "Nordlys"

KIRBERG SHIPPING KS C/O REDERIET ODFJELL AS CONRAD MOHRS VEG 29
5072 BERGEN
NORGE

Owner of "Richard With"

KYSTRUTEN KS STØPERIGATA 2
0250 OSLO
NORGE
POSTBOKS 1324 VIKA
0112 OSLO
NORGE

[pakarang]

Aha.... thank you for that background information, Azimut.

[ombugge]

Latest on the new ships from Kleven, incl. interior views and sailing plans for 2019:
http://www.mynewsdesk.com/no/hurtigr...kysten-2301540

[Sterkoder]

Read about what's inside ombugge's link above in our local newspaper here in Kristiansund today, and when MS Roald Amundsen start the 14-days sailing (cruise) from Hamburg up along the Norwegian coast and return to Hamburg, day 12 is already preplanned to be a stop in Kristiansund

[ombugge]

Want to travel through the North west Passage in the foot steps of Roald Amundsen?
What better way to do it than on board Hurtigruten's new Expedition Cruise ship Roald Amundsen?:
http://www.smp.no/reise/Na-kan-du-bl...ick_articles=1
This will be possible in 2019. Start saving. Ticket price FROM 100K (Approx. USD 12,000)

[ombugge]

Will we see Havila as one of the Owners/Managers of Hurtigruten in 2020/21??:
http://www.smp.no/nyheter/2018/01/16...r-15914198.ece

[Sterkoder]

Remind me of a cattle transporter. Why change something that works? Why must we change everything? Is this a sign, a bad sign, of the time we live in, where money and money only talk???
https://www.google.no/search?q=cattl...ZRKYJrqE6aHuM:

[pakarang]

Oh well.... what can I say, other than hoping the rendering is not in any way close to the final product.

That just looks too.... bulky.

I feel this is the time which we will see the end of the historical Hurtigrute as we know so well. What continues from now will be... ehhh... different.

[Seagull]

Blog comment to:
bLOG update Jan-20 "Future of Hurtigruten"
Doesn't look like the Beautiful Ship to woo the tourists on the Beautiful Voyage.
And, even more importantly for the Norwegians, where is the cargo and the cars?

[pakarang]

I suppose this might be an early-work plan for the new ship, omitting crucial details such as the port side cargo hatch and gangway arrangement.

I would prefer something more modern, and sleeker looking. Ship design has come a lot further than this I feel.

[ombugge]

Not everybody like the new "Bondeheimen" style interior decoration and furniture on board some of the Hurtigruter:
https://www.skipsrevyen.no/article/h...a-hurtigruten/

[nari]

I think the choice of furniture in the lounge area and the box-style build is weird. But I am used to the more elegant style of many other ships in Hurtigruten and others.

[Clipper]

The clock and the bench-seats suggest an attempt at "Gustavian" style but after that they lost their way of ran out of budget.

[Azimut]

Hurtigruten and Havila at the coast from 2021
https://e24.no/naeringsliv/hurtigrut...ruten/24293485

[Azimut]

Only speculation from my side yvneac, but I'm not surprised if "Lofoten" and "Vesterålen" are phased out from 01.01.2021

[yvneac]

Yes Bengt, I'm afraid so!

[PoloUK]

Vesterålen has a car deck though - Spitsbergen doesn't. Matters quite a bit to several bits of the coast, especially at this time of year (no road access to Honningsvåg, Berlevåg etc. this week.)

[PoloUK]

What's the short version for the non-Norwegian readers Bengt/Ombugge?

From 2021 there will be two companies on the route - Havila with four new ships, and Hurtigruten who are keeping the current fleet. A boat a day, but sailing different days?

I didn't quite get the bit about 'no local service' - do I understand that every port will get a boat a day as now, but that Hurtigruten will also sail on days when they don't have the 'kystruter' contract, just not calling everywhere, and purely as a cruise service, not as a classic hurtigruter? All seems just a little odd at the moment.

I certainly don't get the 'routes to Europe' bit.

[Azimut]

When the new tender period starts, Hurtigruten's three largest ships - MS "Trollfjord", MS "Midnatsol" and MS "Finnmarken" will sail clean commercial sailings to selected ports between Bergen and Kirkenes.

"They will sail from Bergen on the days we have not been awarded the Kystrute Agreement. Unfortunately, we will not be allowed to bring local passengers, but will fill the ships with guests from all over the world. We are today the largest operator in the Arctic. Even though we want to operate fewer ships in the Bergen-Kirkenes Coast, we will not reduce our activity either along the Norwegian coast or in the Arctic - rather, on the contrary, says Skjeldam.

[PoloUK]

Thanks Bengt. Still confused though. Is that me or the article? Does that mean that TF, MS and FM are 'off the route' - i.e. not carrying passengers and freight?

[Tommi]

As I understand, TF, MS & FM will do cruising round trips, starting from Bergen the same day as Havilas ships starts their coastal liner roundtrip.
Hurtigrutens cruise route will probably skip a lot of harbours, and will probably call some new touristy harbours as well.

[Ralf__]

Now this is going to get interesting. The time frame is very tight to build 4 new ships... and Hurtigruten tries to keep the roundtrip business... No easy job for Havila!

[ombugge]

No not easy for Havila, but for those who know, or know of, Per Saevik, if it was easy he wouldn' be interested.
Read about the man here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Per_Rolf_S%C3%A6vik

[ombugge]

There is a long interview with Per Saevik on smp.no today, but behind a pay wall. Here is one key statement:

"In what area do you see possibility for growth"?
"It's a huge potential in the Asian market. In China, there are around 300 million people who belong to the middle class. They can afford to travel. And they usually travel individually, not in groups. We would like to offer an option, Sævik says.
We already has planned information in Chinese in the new Hurtigruten ships".

"The agreement with the state means that the two companies Havila Kystruten and Hurtigruten will share on departures from Bergen to Kirkenes. What if Hurtigruten is serious about starting parallel routes from Bergen"?

"If they can get a profit, it suggests that there is a gold mine waiting for us when we use our new and energy-saving vessels, on top of that receive state support to operate the same departures," says Per Sævik.